Both men were dressed in civilian clothes, but the mere recognition of them would have been astonished. Because of these two people, one is Tan Wantong, director of the Ministry of War, and the other is Xuan Minglei, the deputy marshal of the navy.

Yu Chenggong, the marshal of Wuyangcheng, is old and no longer cares about the military, and these two people are the supreme leaders of the Wuyangcheng military. At the emergency meeting of the council, Wang Toqing heard this arrogant and rude book issued by Admiral Peli, and most of the people scoffed at it. Although Wuyang City was subject to the covenant of the Great Qi Emperor in the past years, and could only retain 10,000 water troops, the Wuyang Water Army was originally famous all over the world, and now although the establishment has been reduced, it is more elite. And the generals of the navy, since the thunder of Xuanming, are all veterans who have come through actual combat, and their combat power is not easy to fight, plus fighting according to the city, this is not to say that there is only one ship, even if there are ten, or even a hundred, they will definitely not be able to break through the walls of Wuyang City, so they unanimously passed the rejection.

Although they also thought that the only way to reject this kind of rudeness was to refuse, Xuan Minglei and Tan Wantong knew that the clouds of war were approaching again after many years. Therefore, as soon as they waited for the decision of the council to come out, they rushed to the dock before Jin Qiufan. The art of war is cloudy: know yourself and know your opponent, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles. What is the ability of this Sunflower Dynasty, which has never been in contact with the Central Plains, must be clarified first. Xuan Minglei also proposed to simply detain the Molong in order to carefully observe the strength of the other party, but was vetoed by the government. Because the purpose of the republic is "people-oriented, people-oriented", the enemy is also people, and now it is a book, not a war, and etiquette must not be lost. However, the reply was taken care of by the clerk of the Ministry of Rites, as a sign of contempt. Xuan Minglei's arm couldn't twist his thigh, so he had to agree.

When the Molong sailed away, Xuan Minglei looked at the sail shadow while pressing his pulse. This is the secret method of calculating the speed of the ship in the navy, watching the ship sail out of the port, Xuan Minglei breathed a sigh of relief and said: "The speed is comparable to that of my revival ship." ”

Sea ships from large to small, divided into "wind", "flower", "snow", "moon" four levels, of which the wind class is a super giant ship, Wuyang City is not allowed to build, the imperial navy is only two, "moon" class is a small boat, can only carry more than ten people, so the most commonly used is "flower", "snow" two levels. These two types of warships can be equipped with Ruyi machines, but due to the size of snow-class battleships, Ruyi machines cannot be too large, so the speed of the ship will be slower. The fastest flower-class battleship in Wuyang City was the Xuanming Thunder Fuxing Ship, and he calculated the speed of the Molong with his pulse, and found that it was not much different from the Fuxing Ship. However, the revival ship is nearly one-third larger than the Molong, and unless the artillery on the Molong is much stronger than the Fuxing ship, it is difficult to win. And he also took a closer look at the gun positions on the Molong, and found that the gun holes were more than half less than those of the Fuxing ship, and they would not have the upper hand in terms of caliber, so in general, the other party would not be much stronger than Wuyangcheng, but the whistle on this ship was much louder than that of Wuyangcheng.

Talking about the evening, Fang Cai was also calculating the speed of the ship. Hearing Xuan Minglei say this, he nodded and said, "Not bad." It's just strange, Brother Xuan, where did these Hu'er get the confidence to be so arrogant and rude? ”

Xuan Minglei said: "Indeed." Perhaps, they underestimated us, and when they found that they couldn't please us, they threw down a few big words and left. ”

In Paley's book, there are three requirements. The first is to let go of the sale of Fushou ointment; The second was to give the ships of the Sunflower Dynasty the right to enter and leave freely without constraints. The third is to ask Wuyang City to change the Sunflower King as the suzerain. The first two are no longer possible, and it can be said that they are demanding, but the third is really difficult for the strongman. Wuyangcheng is based on commerce and trade, and many overseas countries come. The folk customs and religions of many countries are different, and the purpose of Wuyangcheng is to treat everyone equally, try to provide convenience, and trade is the first. This purpose is also recognized by all countries, so over the years, the commerce and trade of Wuyangcheng have been thriving, and there are thirteen shops specializing in foreign seafarer business, known as "Thirteen Lines". It's just that Yu Peili's next letter is not a way to do business at all, that is, to ask Wuyangcheng to surrender on his knees. In the world, how can there be such a way of hospitality, it seems that this Sunflower Dynasty is also used to being arrogant, and it still comes out with such a face when it comes to Wuyang City. It's just that they are so fearless, on what basis? Of course, this Molong must also be equipped with a driving device such as a Ruyi machine, but it doesn't seem to be much more advanced than Wuyang City, unless it conceals its strength. Tan Wantong frowned and said, "Brother Xuan, you must not underestimate the enemy, you must be extremely careful in this matter." ”

Xuan Minglei also nodded and said, "Yes." Brother Tan, let's send the Jinliang Guard to spy on it, and I'll go ask Brother Zheng for advice. ”

Tan Wan Tongdao: "Not bad. Although Brother Zheng has not been in the army for a long time, his opinions must be deep and pertinent. Wait a minute, I'll go with you, and by the way, I'll see him and his wife go. ”

Xuan Minglei and Zheng Sichu are lifelong friendships, although Tan Wantong and Zheng Sichu are not so deep, but they are not shallow. Over the years, the two of them have risen steadily and have become the military and political leaders of Wuyangcheng, but Zheng Sichu has lost his reputation and is unpopular with everyone, which makes them sigh deeply, but they all admit that Zheng Sichu has the ability to discern everything, and if there is anything difficult to decide, he always likes to ask him for advice. Of course, a few years ago, it was too peaceful, and those inquiries were actually more of an excuse to help Zheng Sichu, but this time, they really wanted to hear Zheng Sichu's judgment. If Zheng Sichu can still become the commander of the whole army as he did back then, their confidence will definitely double...... It's just that they all know it's impossible.

talked about going back at the same time, and immediately transferred the commander of the Jinliang Guard to Jiang Xuping. Jinlanwei was originally formed as a secret force specializing in spying on intelligence and transmitting news, because it was located at No. 43 Liyu Street in Wuyang City, so it was named Sisan Jinlan at the beginning. Because this army was built by Zheng Sichu, when Zheng Sichu withdrew from the army, it was almost abolished, but fortunately, it was retained with the same hand and became an organization under the Ministry of War, and now there are only more than ten people in total, and the address is not at No. 43 Liyu Street, so it was renamed Jinlanwei. Jiang Xuping is a very good person, but Jin Liangwei has not had any major events over the years, and the most he has done is to assist in inspections, prevent and rescue water and fire disasters, etc., and he is really a bit energetic and has nowhere to go. When he heard that he was going to find out information again, Jiang Xuping was in high spirits, and immediately summoned a few of his best skills to disguise themselves as fishermen and go to sea to investigate the details of the Molong.

At dusk that day, Tan Wantong and Xuan Minglei carried the jar of wine and brought a few packs of cooked food to the street where Zheng Sichu lived in the south of the city. This street is very deserted, and Zheng Sichu's house is at the end of the street, which is even more remote. When they first arrived at the door of Zheng's house, they happened to see Zheng Sichu walking out with a teenager. The young man couldn't help but be startled when he saw the director of the military department and the second marshal Xuan arriving in civilian clothes, and hurriedly saluted before leaving. Tan Wantong didn't recognize him, and asked, "Hey, Brother Zheng, Ling Lang is so old?" ”

Zheng Sichu smiled: "That's the little apprentice Wen Leopard." Brother Tan, why do you have time to come over today? ”

That young man was Zheng Sichu's disciple Pu Wenbao. Pu Wenbao didn't know that Chu Hanbai was going to Fog Cloud City because of his class. Today, taking advantage of the holiday, I came to see the master and reviewed the martial arts by the way. When I arrived at the Zheng family, I knew that my junior brother had left home and went north, so I couldn't help but feel a little confused when I said goodbye. Zheng Sichu practiced with him all the way, and left him at home for lunch, and did not leave until dusk. Tan Wantong still didn't answer, Xuan Minglei had already said: "Come in and sit." Brother Si Chu, please stir-fry my sister, Brother Tan and I brought some cooked food, and we will drink two sips today. ”

Zheng Sichu knew that Xuan Minglei was not happy with alcohol, but because he was afraid of the inside, he didn't dare to drink at home, so he could only let go of it and drink a few glasses when he came to his own house. He said, "Okay, okay, please come in." When he arrived at the door, he said, "Ah Rong, Brother Tan and your senior brother are here, please cut a piece of wind meat and fry two dishes." Mrs. Zheng came out when she heard the voice, and she also wore an apron around her body. As soon as she saw the two of them, she smiled and said, "Mr. Tan, senior brother, you are here, sit down first, and I will go to stir-fry immediately." ”

Xuan Minglei saw that there were still some water stains on her apron, thinking that she was still washing something just now, but somehow her heart was sour, so she quickly stood up and said, "Senior sister, it's really troublesome for you, just fry two, let's bring the vegetables." Xin said: "Brother Si Chu is too abrupt little sister!" "When Mrs. Zheng was a boudoir, she was an unattainable celebrity, and her pipa was the true inheritance of Cao Shancai, but now she is a completely homely woman. Xuan Minglei also knew that the emperor in the north appreciated Zheng Sichu very much, and Fu Yanshu was the first general in the empire, if Zheng Sichu went to the north, the little junior sister would never fall to this. just looked at her eyes but with gentle satisfaction, and said in his heart: "Anyway, the little junior sister herself doesn't think it's bitter, and she can only do it." ”

The three of them sat down at the table, and Xuan Minglei did not open a few lotus leaf bags, and inside were some cooked foods such as roast goose and barbecued pork. Without waiting for it to be opened, he poured himself a glass of wine and drank it all, and then said, "Brother Si Chu, didn't you go to the dock to send Hanbai today?" ”

"yes. What's wrong? ”

Xuan Minglei was a little impatient and said, "No wonder you don't know about the black ship knocking today." ”

He briefly told the story of such a rebellious and rude letter from the sudden black ship, Zheng Sichu's expression became more and more solemn, and when Xuan Minglei finished speaking, he frowned and said, "There is such a thing?" ”

The foreign ships that come to Wuyangcheng are all here to do business. Businessmen pay attention to harmony and make money, not to mention that the naval army of Wuyang City was known as the crown of the world at the beginning, although it is not as good as it was back then, it is still not easy to match, how can that Admiral Yu Peili be so blind? Xuan Minglei said: "Exactly, I was also shocked, so I made a special trip with Brother Tan to inspect it." ”

"How?"

Xuan Minglei glanced at Tan Wantong, and drank another glass of wine before saying: "Brother Tan, say it, I'm afraid that this guy won't believe it, and I'll be exaggerating." ”

Tan Wan said: "Brother Xuan laughed. Brother Zheng, that black ship should also be equipped with a Ruyi machine, and its speed is very fast, but it is not much faster than our ship. There are also gun emplacements on the ship, so I don't know how powerful they are. ”

Zheng Sichu said: "What happened later? ”

"Jiang Xuping of the Jinlin Guard has been sent to investigate."

Speaking of this, Tan Wantong sighed and did not say any more. But Zheng Sichu knew exactly what he meant. Naval artillery did not appear for many years. Since the guns installed on the ships cannot blindly increase their power, the power of the naval guns on the Wuyangcheng fleet is not much better, although it is better than the original. However, outside the south gate of Wuyang City, there are also two forts on the left and right, which are held by these two forts, and the suppressed fleet may not be enough to attack, but there is more than enough to defend. These arrangements are not secret, they can be seen by the ships in port, and the black ship is naturally also in the eyes. If the black ship still led the crowd to attack Wuyang City, it means that they still have unknown strength.

Xuan Minglei saw that Zheng Sichu was silent, and he was also a little anxious, so he poured another glass of wine and drank it all, and said, "Brother Si Chu, do you think they will really go and come back?" ”

Zheng Sichu pondered for a moment before he said, "I can't say it yet. He paused and said with a smile: "Brother Tan, Brother Xuan, the soldiers will block, the water will cover the earth, you are all famous generals of the navy, you have already thought of the countermeasures I can think of, what else can I say?" ”

Tan Wantong and Xuan Minglei glanced at each other, and couldn't help but be a little embarrassed. What Zheng Sichu said is true, the two of them, plus a Cui Wangxiang, are known as the "Three Heroes of Water and Sky" of the Wuyangcheng Water Army, and they can be called the top generals of the Navy today. It's just that after a long time, suddenly encountering such a thing, I can't help but be a little at a loss. Hearing Zheng Sichu say this, Xuan Minglei also laughed: "Not bad." Brother, sometimes I think we're a little too timid. ”

Tan Wantong shook his head and said, "Brother Xuan, I don't dare to agree with this. I think it's better to overestimate the enemy than to underestimate it. ”

Zheng Sichu said: "What Brother Tan said is really reasonable. Brother Xuan, no matter what the mystery of this black ship is, in short, there must not be the slightest carelessness. Let the forts be on better alert, and the navy will be ready to attack, be prepared for everything, and if there is another accident......"

At this point, he paused. People are not as good as heaven, Zheng Si Chushi knows this better than anyone else. In that year, the north and the south clashed, although the strength of the south has always been inferior to that of the north, but when Zheng Sichu took charge of the army, he compressed the front and resolved Fu Yanshu's all-out offensive layer by layer. If it can continue like this, the disadvantage may not be able to be leveled little by little, but at that time, it was Gao Heling, the famous general of Wuyang City who guarded Nan'an City, who suddenly fell seriously ill on the front line, and Nan'an City fell, which completely collapsed the defense line that Zheng Sichu had worked so hard to manage. At that time, Gao Heling was known as the first defender in the world, and everyone felt that as long as he guarded the city, the city would be solid. And Nan'an City is also a fortified city ranked among the eleventh cities, and the northern general Dai Chengxiao, who attacked the city, did not have much success before, but Gao Heling was young and strong, so everyone felt that Nan'an was not to worry. But the accident occurred in this place where chaos was most likely, and the result was that Zheng Sichu's plan was completely lost, and there was no way to return to heaven, and in the end, the only way to exchange peace for the remnants of Wuyang City was to retain the fire of this republic, and Zheng Sichu himself was ruined and could not return to the army.

Will there be any accidents this time?

In fact, this sentence has always been in the hearts of talking about Wantong and Xuan Minglei. It's just that no one dares to say it, because, if there is another accident, the remaining republican fire in Wuyang City will eventually be completely extinguished. Tan Wantong only felt a burst of anxiety in his heart, picked up the cup and drank it all, and ate another piece of meat. For a while, the three of them were sullen, but Mrs. Zheng came out with a food bowl, and when she saw that the three of them didn't speak, they just drank and said, "General Tan, senior brother, are you in a hurry?" It's hot. ”

Mrs. Zheng fried a few dishes with meat and vegetarian dishes. As soon as he saw her coming, Xuan Minglei hurriedly stood up and said, "Senior sister, it's really hard work." ”

Xuanming Lei is wild by nature, but in front of this little junior sister, he has always been very disciplined. Usually every time he drinks, he will get drunk, but with only two people in front of him, he doesn't dare to go crazy even if he is drunk. One of these two people is his wife, and the other is Mrs. Zheng's younger sister. Mrs. Zheng smiled faintly and said, "Senior brother, what are you polite about." ”

After Mrs. Zheng put down the dishes and went in, Tan Wantong suddenly said in a low voice: "Brother Zheng, you should go to Wuyun City with Mrs. Zheng." ”

Zheng Sichu was already ruined in Wuyang City, but Tan Wan and these acquaintances knew that Zheng Sichu was really burdened with humiliation. Now the emperor of Great Qi in the north also attaches great importance to Zheng Sichu, and Tan Wantong knows that the emperor has invited Zheng Sichu to go north several times, and even the condition of "not bowing to the sword" has been opened. This kind of treatment is only available to three people in the empire, and the fact that Zheng Sichu was given this condition shows the sincerity of the emperor. Although Tan Wantong also knew that once Zheng Sichu went north, he would give up the belief in the republic. In the past, he only admired Zheng Sichu's stubbornness, but now looking at the current situation of Zheng Sichu and his wife, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the evening. But Zheng Sichu just smiled and didn't answer, just said, "When will Jiang Xuping come back?" ”

Xuan Minglei knew that Zheng Si Chushi was reluctant to talk about this matter. In fact, he privately persuaded Zheng Sichu more than once, why stay in Wuyang City to suffer, but Zheng Sichu only said that it was his belief, and Xuan Minglei didn't say more. For this old friend who is a friend of life and death, Xuan Minglei really knows better than anyone else. There are some things that he really values more than his own life, and he will not compromise no matter what.

The three of them had their own thoughts, and this meal was also drunk restrainedly. After drinking for a while, Tan Wantong said that Jiang Xuping might come back to report and retire first. Xuan Minglei has never been addicted to alcohol, he is not allowed to drink at home because he is strictly controlled by his wife, and he can only enjoy himself when he comes to Zheng Sichu. Talking about the night, he became more and more energetic, talking and laughing with Zheng Sichu, talking and laughing from time to time, talking about recent events, and constantly pouring wine into his mouth. After talking for a while, he was already slightly drunk, and with the help of wine, Xuan Minglei said: "Brother Si Chu, in fact, I think that it is not unreasonable to talk about brotherhood. ”

Zheng Sichu was stunned for a moment and asked, "What are you talking about?" ”

Xuan Minglei put down the cup, but there was a strange sobriety in his eyes, and he said in a low voice: "Brother Si Chu, good birds choose trees to perch, and there is no need to be stubborn. Even in the north, you can show your strengths, and you don't have to suffer from this pickled idle anymore. ”

Zheng Sichu smiled faintly and said, "That's what you're talking about." He also put down the cup and whispered, "Brother Xuan, what do you think of Lu Mingyi?" ”

Xuan Minglei pondered for a moment and sighed: "I have the heart to say a few bad things about him, but I really can't say anything, although this person is not ambitious, but he is wise and generous, and he is as good as a stream." In any case, although the imperial system has been restored in the north, everything is in ruins, and the country is thriving, which cannot but be admired. ”

Zheng Sichu nodded and said: "Yes, right now, the Great Qi Empire is rising, the north and the south are also very harmonious, and Wuyang City has also had a peaceful life for a few years. It's just that you dare to guarantee that the next generation of emperors will still have this mind? ”

Unlike a republic, the imperial system had to choose one person from among the princes to succeed to the throne. If the successor is wise, the country will still be able to rise. But if he is succeeded by a tyrant, it is likely that all this will be ruined. In the empire of the previous generation, such an incident once happened. There were eighteen generations of emperors before and after that empire, but the fourth generation of emperors did not have an emperor title, only a king title, and that was because the fourth generation of Weide King was originally the uncle of the third generation of emperors, Emperor Fude. Emperor Fu succeeded to the throne at the age of five, but was assassinated at the age of eight, and it was King Weide who was the mastermind. King Weide committed this great rebellion, although he also ascended the throne of the emperor, but in the pen of the historian, he has always been only known as the king. Although King Weide used this despicable means to obtain the throne, he was born a bright king, enjoyed the country for a long time, and governed the country well, and the country was higher than a year at that time. It's just that King Weide had no heirs in his life, and succeeded his nephew Emperor Taiding to succeed him. Although this Emperor Taiding is only the nephew of King Weide, he is ruthless and ruthless, but he does not have the wisdom of King Weide. At the beginning of his accession, because the imperial history book demanded that the spiritual throne of King Weide be moved out of the Taimiao, Emperor Taiding issued an edict to kill the imperial history, which caused a lot of discussion, and the Chinese military almost collapsed. During the three years of Emperor Taiding's reign, this matter was also quarreled for three years, which was called the "Great Ceremony", and finally the empire was turned upside down, and the spiritual seat of King Weide was still moved out of the Taimiao, and the emperor was not allowed to be called. In the past three years, Emperor Taiding can be called a mischief, so that at that time, folklore said that Emperor Taiding was the reincarnation of Emperor Fude, who was assassinated by King Weide. It's just that although Emperor Taiding acted indiscriminately and almost overthrew the empire completely, because his throne was passed down from his father, although the reputation was extremely bad, he had an official emperor title in the historian's pen. Now the Great Qi Emperor Lu Mingyi in the north has two sons, although these two sons are still young at the moment, the throne will definitely be passed on to one of these two, and no one dares to guarantee that the next generation of emperors will tolerate the existence of Wuyang City like Lu Mingyi. Xuan Minglei was stunned for a long time before he shook his head and sighed: "I don't dare to say." ”

Zheng Sichu said: "I don't dare to say it, I can only hope that this day will never come." ”

Xuan Minglei stopped talking. He poured another glass of wine and drank it all, and after a while, he suddenly said: "You let Hanbai go to the north, which is also An An Lu Mingyi's heart, right?" ”

Zheng Sichu said: "He will have his own judgment." ”

Xuan Minglei nodded and said, "This kid will be even more powerful than you in the future." ”

Zheng Sichu laughed: "He's only a little old, you can see it?" ”

Xuan Ming Lei Zhengse said: "Three years old looks old, not to mention that he is fifteen years old." I have a little bit of a pound, he has already taken out a fine light two years ago, alas, just that kid in my family, but he can't even hold a knife steadily, and I will definitely be surnamed Chu in the future. ”

He said with emotion, and Zheng Sichu said: "Brother Xuan, I think you are too harsh on Tie Lan. Tie Lan is a good boy, and his future achievements are limitless. ”

Although Xuan Minglei scolded his son, he was actually a little proud, and when he heard Zheng Sichu praise Xuan Tielan, he smiled and said, "Maybe." However, my family has been a martial artist for generations, and he went to study literature, like his mother. ”

Although Xuan Tielan is young, his poetry is excellent, and now his poems have been sung in the restaurant and song shop in Wuyang City. Xuan Minglei was actually quite proud of this son, and after listening to Zheng Sichu's praise, he blew a bull along the way. It's just that neither he nor Zheng Sichu thought that they still underestimated Xuan Tielan far from it, thousands of years later, the people of this era have basically forgotten about it for future generations, but Xuan Tielan's poems are still spreading to the population and lasting for a long time.

Drunk talk is drunk talk, and after drinking to the heart of Zheng's house, Xuan Minglei still remembers the right thing. After leaving the Zheng family, he immediately rushed to the military department to inquire. Coincidentally, he just arrived at the military department, and Jiang Xuping also happened to come back, but he said that the Molong was gone without a trace, and he didn't know where he went.

Sure enough, it's a lot of lust. Xuan Minglei thought about it, and his heart couldn't help but let go of half of it. However, he still didn't dare to let go completely, and still sent scout ships to patrol and visit the surrounding waters. Wuyangcheng has developed commerce and trade, and there are a lot of ships coming and going, if Yu Peili is mixed in the merchant ships to Wuyangcheng to do some damage, it is necessary to prevent it. However, from May to June, everything was calm, even the storm at sea was less, and at the end of June, it was Xuan Minglei who let go of the other half of his heart.

The whole month of June was peaceful, but Zheng Sichu never dared to be careless. Mrs. Zheng was worried about Chu Hanbai, who had traveled far away, and from time to time she was talking about whether she had arrived in Wuyun City. In fact, this long-distance trip to the sea will take more than a month, and after arriving in Wuyun City, I will write a letter back, and it is not an urgent military situation to send a feather book, it is just an ordinary post road, and the letter will take nearly two months. Counting up, even if Chu Hanbai wrote a letter of safety as soon as he arrived in Wuyun City, it would be in mid-August when he came to Wuyang City. It's not that Mrs. Zheng is ignorant of this reason, it's just that mother and son are connected, this only son is the first time to leave her to such a distant place, even if she is taken by her uncle and uncle, she is still not very relieved.

Just when Zheng Sichu was about to forget about Yu Peili, Tan Wantong suddenly came with another earth-shattering news.

Tan Wantong has never forgotten Yu Paley's threat, so his order to inspect the Jinlan Guard has not been revoked, but it has changed from daily patrols to patrols every three, five, and ten days. And on the 19th of July, Jiang Xuping brought a shocking news, the black ship named Molong went and returned, and stopped on a small island a few miles outside Wuyang City.

The island is a temporary shelter for fishermen from the wind and waves, and because there is no fresh water, they can only rest temporarily. The black ship docked here is by no means a long-term solution. Jiang Xuping found out about the news and immediately came back to report it, so that Jin Liangwei continued to pay attention to the movements of the black ship.

Obviously, Yu Pali's speculation that he would retreat in a difficult way has come to naught, and now in this situation, it is very likely that Yu Paley has gathered a large group of people from his headquarters to come, and now the black ship is the first to open the way. Hearing this news, Xuan Minglei and Tan Wantong's mood couldn't help but feel a little heavy, and they immediately ordered the navy to strengthen their vigilance, and increase the storage of gunpowder in the fort to prepare for the next inevitable fierce battle.